Gov. Jared Polis declares disaster emergency as multiple Colorado wildfires continue to burn
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency on Tuesday in response to numerous Colorado wildfires burning across the state.
The move means the state will now be able to provide more urgent support to fight the quickly growing Alexander Mountain fire in Larimer County, the Current Creek fire in western Colorado and the Stone Canyon fire in Boulder County.
The fast-moving Alexander Mountain Fire has spread to over 5,000 acres since it broke out Monday with 0% containment, forcing mandatory evacuations and drawing support from fire agencies statewide.
According to the governor's office, the declaration activates the State Emergency Operations Plan, which directs divisions of the Department of Public Safety to take all necessary and appropriate actions to assist with response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.
“We are working to ensure that Coloradans impacted by these fires have the resources they need and we are providing critical state support to help manage and contain these fires as quickly as possible to protect our communities and prevent costly damage," Polis said in a Tuesday press release. "These actions will help deploy resources more quickly to Colorado communities. I’m grateful to the incredible frontline responders who are fighting these fires around the clock and I continue monitoring these fires very closely."
Polis' office additionally provided a list of resources the state will use to combat the spreading fires:
- A Firehawk military helicopter and crew
- Three air tankers
- Two multi-mission aircraft
- Two Type-2 helicopters and crews
- Fire engines
- Firefighter crews
- Intelligence and management support
- Communications support
- Road closure assistance
- Traffic control
- Shelter and volunteer support
- Veterinary medical teams
- Drone operations
The governor's office encourages residents to sign up for county emergency alerts to receive emergency alerts and evacuation information from their local public safety agency.
